Phannie

Photo taken at Winchester Bay, Oregon

Friday, November 4, 2016

The "Best of the Best RV Parks" Page Gets an Upgrade

At the Dallas Metro KOA, Arlington, Texas...

As we have been winding down our stay here in the DFW area, I have had some spare time to finish an enhancement to the "Best of the Best RV Parks" page linked in the far right column of this blog, just above Sandy's photo. That enhancement is that I have added a website link to each park named in the list.

If you haven't looked at this page in a while, you may not have seen that the list has been refined and expanded quite a bit. I started this page because I couldn't find a reliable web source where I could quickly find the better quality RV parks for those occasions when we wanted a nice place to stay. The Big Rig Resorts website wasn't reliable, as they include way too many lower-tier parks, and they don't keep their contact links current. The Good Sam directory has a starred-rating system, but what about those parks that aren't members of Good Sam?As I have written previously, we don't consider ourselves prima donnas who only park at luxury resorts. Why, Phannie, because of her age, would probably be turned away from the really gold-plated ones. In fact, when we are on the road, we typically look for the best discounts we can get for our overnight stops, irrespective of the parks' condition (within reason, of course). However, when we reach a destination for a long stay, we like for our surroundings to be pleasant and appealing with plenty of amenities; we don't mind paying a little extra for that. Pet peeves would be parks that are crowded, junky or unlevel. And the worst offense would be having to park in dirt or mud. We just wouldn't stay long-term in places like that.I've spent many hours on this research, perusing all the photos I can find, along with using Google Earth to help determine if a park qualifies. Of course, we have stayed at quite a few of the locations ourselves, so those were easy to evaluate in person. At the beginning of the page, I list the criteria upon which the parks are qualified. Besides the standard listing, those listed in bold letters can be thought of as the "best of the best of the best," where you can count on a really upscale experience (with a price tag to match, usually). Surprisingly, some states have no RV parks that--in my opinion--belong on a list of the best in the country, so you'll notice that a few states have no listings at all. Oh yes, and I've listed only those parks in the lower 48; we're not likely to take our RV to Hawaii, and we just don't have enough backbone to drive it to Alaska.

As you check out the page, you should know that it is definitely a work in progress, and here's where you could help: If you know of a park not listed that should be included (I can't possibly have found them all), consider letting me know, so that I can add it. And if you find a park that you think I have assessed incorrectly, I would really like to know about that, too. Just leave a comment on the blog or send me an email at [mike dot sandy dot mills at gmail dot com]. I'm not planning to make this page into a commercial website. (I don't want a job; I've discovered that being "retired" is not much different from being "lazy.") It is offered to Phannie and Mae's audience as a 'thank you' for visiting the blog. Feel free to link to it if you wish but, since this blog is copyrighted, it would not be quite legal for it to be posted elsewhere without attribution. A linkback to the page in your text would also be fine.So, that's it. I hope you find this list useful, and I hope you will help make it better and more complete with your suggestions. I'll be sure to thank you for your contributions.

Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful life; please forgive me if I don't appreciate it enough each day.

You included Willow tree RV resort in south Carolina. We have visited the park many times and its one of the best we have ever stayed at. However, unless added recently, they do not have cable available. So, it would seem should not be on your list, according to your requirements. Thanks for the list.

Thanks, Diane and Rich, for your comment. You caused me to give a little more thought to the criteria, and it doesn't make much sense to exclude a really nice park if it doesn't have cable or wi-fi or if the cell service is below standard. With this in mind, I have revamped the criteria to say that these things are "preferable." Fortunately, very few of these parks would have these omissions, I'm thinking. Thanks again for the good suggestion.

Hi, Patsy! Thanks for your comment. I am hoping that wonderful readers like you will help me add to this list by mentioning parks at which they've stayed that could fall into the 'best of the best' category. Your're so right, by the way; I can't possibly have found them all. One of the main criteria, in my view, is that the park has paved or concrete roads and sites. Gravel could be acceptable if it is sparingly used and very well done. This criterion, as you might imagine, culls out the majority of RV parks in the U. S. I hope you will be a contributor to this list. I would really appreciate it. Happy travels!

Mike, I removed my comment after checking your list and finding the park that I was going to mention already there. It is the Silver Creek RV Resort in Mears Mi. We have gone there the last five years in a row and have reservations for next year. It is the nicest park in the area by far and lots of things to do and see also. Great list you have put together.

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About Phannie and Mae - And Us

Mike retired as an airline pilot and manager in 1996 and retired again from a subsequent stint as a manager with the Federal Aviation Administration in 2013. Sandy is a retired public schoolteacher of gifted and talented children. This blog will take you from the the excitement and discoveries of our very first RV trip through the trials and tribulations of downsizing our lifestyle and grappling with the onrush of life's sunset years and our emergence, hopefully, with our dreams and our sanity intact. We hope you enjoy the journey with us. Phannie and Mae? We have always named our vehicles, I guess because we get attached to them. Our Phaeton Motorhome is Phannie, and our Honda CR-V toad is Mae. Phannie...Mae, like the giant federally sponsored mortgage corporation, Fannie Mae. Get it? Okay, maybe you don't; it is kinda silly.